Publications

Nearly two months after the launch of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war on February 28, 2026, global energy markets have moved past the “geopolitical risk premium,” a temporary price increase that reflects the uncertainty of armed conflict. Instead, they have now entered a far more perilous phase that the International Energy Agency (IEA) calls the “largest supply… Continue reading Iran War: Grappling With an Unprecedented Energy Crisis

The October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, and the Gaza Genocide that commenced that same day and continues more than two years later, mark a critical historical juncture for the Palestinian people. While the scale of destruction, loss of life, and displacement in Gaza has few contemporary parallels, the significance of this moment extends beyond the immediate catastrophe. For Palestinians, October 2023 did not simply usher in another episode in their protracted struggle for liberation; it exposed the cumulative consequences of decades of political fragmentation, institutional decay, and strategic paralysis within the Palestinian national movement itself.  

This policy note examines how Gulf states can transition from traditional security dependence to a diversified, proactive strategy shaping the post-war regional and global order.

This policy brief examines how water scarcity and extreme heat threaten AI data center expansion in the Gulf, and outlines strategies for sustainable growth.

This situation assessment explores how the integration of nuclear infrastructure within a volatile military calculus is signaling a dangerous evolution in strategic thinking.

this assessment offers an in-depth analytical reading of how maritime geography – and chokepoints in particular – has been reconfigured within Iran’s regional strategy, and how this reconfiguration is reshaping the strategic geography of conflict in the Middle East. 

A month into the conflict, the number of displaced persons across Lebanon has reached 1 million people. Displacement orders are estimated to cover approximately 14 percent of Lebanon’s territory covering southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Bekaa. The displaced population has placed enormous strain on Lebanon’s battered economy. On 28 March, Yemen’s Houthi rebels entered the conflict, attacking Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles. The potential for the conflict to escalate and encompass war-torn Yemen raises serious, potentially catastrophic, humanitarian concerns.

Introduction The joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran that began on February 28, 2026, has triggered one of the Gulf’s most dangerous crises in decades. For energy-importing countries in Asia, the conflict is not a distant war; it is a direct threat to their security. East Asian powers import roughly 60% of their oil from the… Continue reading Asia and the Iran Conflict: Energy Vulnerability and the Imperative for Action

A policy analysis exploring how the U.S.–Israel–Iran war is redefining Gulf neutrality, deterrence strategies, and regional security architecture.

The Lebanon front has become a central battlefield in a wider regional war, raising risks of state collapse, regional escalation, and threats to Gulf security.

ME Council analysis examining the effectiveness of pooled humanitarian financing in conflict zones, using the Sudan Humanitarian Fund as a key case study.

ME Council expert analysis on Saudi-Iran rapprochement, the GCC’s response to the June 2025 war, and Tehran’s push for strategic de-escalation.